This invention relates generally to fishing equipment and, more particularly, to a device for testing the hooking effectiveness of fishing lures.
One of the most important requirements of a fishing lure is the ability to consistently hook and retain fish. It will be noted in this regard that when a fish takes a lure into its mouth, a fisherman will typically attempt to set the hook by jerking or snapping the line. If the lure is properly designed, the hook should properly set (become embedded in the mouth of the fish) in most instances, thereby ensuring that very few fish escape once they have taken the bait. If the lure is less effective in its design, the hook may not properly set on a consistent basis, in which case many fish will escape even though they have taken the lure. Heretofore, it has been difficult if not impossible to readily test the hooking effectiveness of a particular lure except by using it in live situations. Of course, where the lure design is deficient, the results can be very frustrating to a fisherman.
There is a need, therefore, for a device which can be used to test the hooking effectiveness of a lure before the lure is used in the field. cl SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Among the several objects of this invention may be noted the provision of a device for testing the hooking effectiveness of a fishing lure; the provision of such a device which is simple to use; the provision of such a device which enables the hooking effectiveness of a lure to be determined very quickly and with only a minimum of effort; and the provision of such a device which is of economical construction.
Briefly, a device of the present invention is adapted for testing the hooking effectiveness of a fishing lure. The device comprises a frame, a pair of jaws representative of the jaws of a fish mounted on the frame for movement of the jaws toward and away from a closed position, and spring means urging said jaws toward said closed position. The arrangement is such that a fishing lure comprising a head and a trailing hook is adapted to be pulled, head first, through the jaws with the jaws moving away from their closed position as the head passes between the jaws and thereafter moving under the bias of said spring means back toward their closed position. The trailing hook is adapted either to hook one of the jaws indicating that the lure is generally effective for hooking fish or to pass between the jaws without hooking one of the jaws indicating that the lure is less effective for hooking fish.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.